Every week we aim to re home an animal currently being cared for by an animal refuge on the island. The project is supported by professional photographers from around the island, the PR firm Phoenix Media, and The Majorca Daily Bulletin.

Category: pet health

by VM

The dreaded processionary caterpillars are already hatching! One conscientious pet owner came into CalviaVet last week asking for advice on how to protect her cats from the perils of the hairy pests.

“I know someone whose dog had to have half its tongue removed after it ate a processinary catepillar,” she explained, “so I thought I should come in and get advice directly I saw the first one in my garden.

“The catepillars are particularly dangerous for dogs because they are more likely to try and eat them than cats are,” Dr. Juan Fernandez agreed, “but they can also cause serious skin problems for cats. Although there are pills that can be given after a pet has encountered a processionary catepillar, these take time to work. Some animals can experience serious allergic reactions, so it’s important to call immediately you see your pet has been affected, and then it can receive an intravenous injection of cortisone as quickly as possible.”

Another increased danger for some pets caused by our mild weather, is mosquitoes. These carry the devastating disease of Leishmania which annually infects hundreds of Majorcan dogs.

“Leishmania is hardly known of in Northern Europe, so many expatriates don’t realise that they need to protect their dog,” Dr. Anna Pink of CalviaVet confirmed. “It is a tropical disease spread by the tiny sand fly mosquito and works in a similar way to an autoimmune disease. It can affect all the organs of the body, but is often first picked up from skin eruptions or fast growing nails. Like malaria, it can lie dormant within an animal for a time before recurring in flare-ups.

“It’s impossible to over-stress how important it is to protect dogs from Leishmania; ironically everyone is aware that their pet should have an annual rabies vaccination, even though the island is rabies-free, but many don’t know Leishmania exists, yet it is common throughout the island,” Dr. Pink said.

Other pet diseases spread by mosquitos include Heartworm, but this is rare on the island and to date the only reported cases have been in the North. Ticks can infect animals with Anaplasmosis which causes blood clotting problems and joint pain, but this is curable with a special antibiotic.

Our unusual weather this winter has also caused the flea population to continue breeding. “Our sales of products which rid your pet and home of fleas are usually far less after November … but not this year!” Dr Pink commented.

While we may all be enjoying the clear blue skies and balmy temperatures, this long Indian summer means we need to be abnormally vigilant that our furry friends don’t fall foul of a non-dormant insect population. It is the time of year when many pet owners love rambling through the woods and mountains of our beautiful island, but we already need to keep an eye out for catepillars and take precautions against mosquitos to keep them safe. (Thanks to Calvia Vet for their report).

DULCE BY NAME, DULCE BY NATURE

Dulce rushed up with 3 other wagging dogs to say hello to the visitors who wiggled their fingers through the fencing of their kennel, but as the other dogs raced away to sniff a new diversion, Dulce stayed and continued wagging at them. It was a clear invitation to come on in and say hello.

Dulce loves to be stroked and cuddled, but above all else she wants to be noticed, something that rarely happens to this truly deserving dog. Perhaps that´s because Dulce is now 8 years old, greying slightly at the muzzle and weighing in at around 25 kg. She waddles a little – it´s quite funny – but she is surprisingly agile, still able to jump onto a high wall to soak up the sun´s winter rays.

Dulce has remained un-noticed at the SPAP shelter for around 6 years. People walk past her looking for younger or smaller models, failing to spot that Dulce will make a super, loving companion dog. She´ll be attentive, happy to sit by your side or go out on walks, and she gets on well with children and other dogs.

Pop down to SPAP and ask to visit Dulce. You can take your time to get to know her, to notice those gentle brown eyes, to rub your hands through her thick coat and give her a tummy rub. She loves that. Dulce is the type of dog who will repay your kindness with years of devotion, if you would just adopt her.

Every week Pet Project tries to help or re-house a homeless animal in Majorca. Pet Project is supported by the Majorca Daily Bulletin, the PR business Phoenix Media Mallorca and several professional and amateur photographers around the island. You can get in touch with Pet Project at www.petprojectmallorca.com All offers of help gratefully received!

by petprojectmallorca

It may still be January, but the dreaded processionary caterpillars are already hatching out due to our mild winter weather.

One conscientious pet owner came into CalviaVet last week asking for advice on how to protect her cats from the perils of the hairy pests.

“I know someone whose dog had to have half its tongue removed after it ate a processionary caterpillar,” she explained, “so I thought I should come in and get advice directly I saw the first one in my garden.

“The caterpillars are particularly dangerous for dogs because they are more likely to try and eat them than cats are,” Dr. Juan Fernandez agreed, “but they can also cause serious skin problems for cats. Although there are pills that can be given after a pet has encountered a processionary caterpillar, these take time to work. Some animals can experience serious allergic reactions, so it’s important to call immediately you see your pet has been affected, then it can receive an intravenous injection of cortisone as quickly as possible.”

Another increased danger for some pets caused by our mild weather, is mosquitoes. These carry the devastating disease of Leishmania which annually infects hundreds of Majorcan dogs.

“Leishmania is hardly known of in Northern Europe, so many expatriates don’t realise that they need to protect their dog,” Dr. Anna Pink of CalviaVet confirmed. “It is a tropical disease spread by the tiny sand fly mosquito and works in a similar way to an autoimmune disease. It can affect all the organs of the body, but is often first picked up from skin eruptions or fast growing nails. Like malaria, it can lie dormant within an animal for a time before recurring in flare-ups.

“It’s impossible to over-stress how important it is to protect dogs from Leishmania; ironically everyone is aware that their pet should have an annual rabies vaccination, even though the island is rabies-free, but many don’t know Leishmania exists, yet it is common throughout the island,” Dr. Pink said.

Other pet diseases spread by mosquitos include Heartworm, but this is rare on the island and to date the only reported cases have been in the North.

Ticks can infect animals with Anaplasmosis which causes blood clotting problems and joint pain, but this is curable with a special antibiotic.

Our unnaturally warm weather this winter has also caused the flea population to continue breeding. “Our sales of products which rid your pet and home of fleas are usually far less after November … but not this year!” Dr Pink commented.

While we may all be enjoying the clear blue skies and balmy temperatures, this long Indian summer means we need to be abnormally vigilant that our furry friends don’t fall foul of a non-dormant insect population. It is the time of year when many pet owners love rambling through the woods and mountains of our beautiful island, but we already need to keep an eye out for caterpillars and take precautions against mosquitos to keep them safe.

Every week Pet Project tries to help or re-home a homeless animal in Majorca. Pet Project is supported by the Majorca Daily Bulletin, the PR business Phoenix Media Mallorca and several professional and amateur photographers around the island. Thanks to Calvia Vet for their contribution this week. If you want to help produce Pet Project, write an article or contribute photos then get in touch petprojectmallorca@gmail.com or find us on Facebook or online www.petprojectmallorca.com

by petprojectmallorca

This week’s Pet Project is brought to you courtesy of the tooth fairy!

Local resident Izzy Newman’s dog Diffa, on hearing he had won the Smile of the Month competition.

There are a huge range of chews and treats on the market to help keep pet breath sweet, but brushing is still very important.

When even the cat has dog breath it’s clear something needs to be done, yet dental care for pets is frequently overlooked by owners.
Although there are a range of dental chews on the market, in an ideal world pet owners need to get up close and personal with a regular routine of daily brushing. However, if your pet isn’t accustomed to someone rubbing around its teeth and gums from a young age, this grooming process can be easier said than done. If it’s not possible to brush your pet’s teeth regularly, it’s important to provide a mostly dry food diet plus plenty of things to chew on. Chewing releases more saliva which has a very cleansing effect on the mouth.
A proper veterinary scale and polish is top of the list for getting rid of bad breath and providing a clean start for new and better pet hygiene habits.
Oral pain in dogs and cats can be caused by abscesses, rotten teeth or nasal fistulas among other things. Cats have such high pain thresholds that they can be in agony before owners notice clear signs of toothache. For this reason most vets will give a quick mouth check when they see your pet for its annual vaccinations, enabling them to nip some painful problems in the bud.
“Poor dental hygiene can also be responsible for heart and kidney disease,” Dr. Anna Pink of Calvia Vets explained. “This occurs when bacteria from the mouth enters the blood stream and settles on heart valves or kidney tissue. It’s hard to overstate how important mouth care is.”
While twice-daily flossing may be a little OTT, regular tooth and gum brushing plus the right diet can spell an end to a home full of killer halitosis and contribute to a far healthier pet.

Thanks to Calvia Vet for their help with this article.

Every week Pet Project tries to help or re-house a homeless animal in Majorca. Pet Project is supported by the Majorca Daily Bulletin, the PR business Phoenix Media Mallorca and several professional and amateur photographers around the island. You can get in touch with Pet Project at http://www.petprojectmallorca.com